Cranberry picking machine



Feb. 21, 1939.

CRANBERRY PICKING MACHINE Filed Augu24, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

[7271 0762177 Wesz. .6726; Z6716? Wazja/z.

A ttorrzeus M. H. WEST Er AL 2,148,332

Feb. 21, 1939. M H WEST 2,148,332

CRANBERRY P ICKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 193'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LJ In uemfor:

By 2mm Feb. 21, 1939. M: H. WEST ET AL 2,148,332

CRANBERRY PICKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 195'? s Sheets-Sheet 5 In ven tor: YZ'ZfbFJiH/Vff. 4726556716. Wataarz,

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES CRANBERRY PICKING MACHINE Milford H. West and Chester 6. Watson, Aberdeen, Wash.

Application August 24,

5 Claims.

This invention is a machine for use in picking cranberries.

As is well known cranberries are grown on swamp or low marshy lands and when the berries are ripe, must be picked out of the vines which lay almost fiat on the ground.

Heretofore the picking has had to be done by hand and the job was hard since the pickers while working at the task had to remain with their bodies bent over while picking the berries or, as an alternate, had to remain on hands and knees during the berry picking operation An object, therefore, of the present invention is to eliminate hand labor, and further to provide a machine which may be taken care of by but a single person.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the machine.

Figure 2 is a detail view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating certain features hereinafter more fully referred to.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the machine,

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of a separator assembly, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken through a portion of the rotary separator assembly.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it'will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the machine comprises a pair of standards 5 from which extend, at the upper ends of the standards, bars 1 between which is suspended a hopper or receptacle 8.

Secured to the front wall of the hopper or receptacle 3 through the medium of clamps 9 is a supporting leg or post 10 for the hopper or receptacle 8.

Adjacent the bottom thereof the peripheral wall of the hopper B is inclined as at H and merges into a restricted outlet 12. The lower portion of the hopper 3 is lined with rubber or other suitable material 03 as shown.

For the restricted outlet I2 there is provided a vertically swinging door M hinged to the hopper as at l5.

Door I4 is normally held in a closed position through the medium of a pair of springs l5 dis posed at opposite sides of the hopper and anchored at their upper ends as at it to the bars it. At their lower ends springs iii are suitably engaged with a rod ll that extends transversely of the door 14 and is secured to the door in any suitable manner.

Also supported by the upper ends of the stand- 1937, Serial No. 160,686 (Cl. 209-25) ards 5 is a clamp 16 whichembraces the casing of a suction fan IT.

For the upper end or top of the hopper 8 there is provided a lid I 8 provided with an integral formation constituting an upper housing portion l9 disposed at an incline and a lower chute or mouth portion 23 extending into the hopper 8.

The mouth portion 23 is lined with rubber or other suitable material 2! and at one side of the mouth 20 lid I3 is provided with an inlet nipple 22 with which is suitably engaged one end of a suction hose 23. Y

The inlet side of the suction fan I1 is provided with a nozzle 23 which has a flanged end 24 bolted or otherwise secured to one side of the housing I 9 about an opening 25 in said side of the housing.

Housing I 9 at the side thereof diametrically opposite to the opening 25 is provided with a second opening 23 which is closed through the medium of a closure plate 21 bolted or otherwise secured thereon as at 28.

Plate 21 is provided with a bearing box 29 in which is fixed a bearing 33 that at the inner end thereof abuts stops .9 provided within the bearing box 29 as shown in Fig. 5.

A rotary fan and separator assembly is indicated generally by the reference numeral 3|. The assembly 3! includes a disk 32 that is clamped on one end of a stub shaft 33. Clamped on the stub shaft 33 between a nut 34 on one end of the stub shaft and the hub portion 32 of the disk 32 is the inner race of the aforementioned bearing 3!]- as clearly shown in Figure 5.

Extending from the disk 32 is a circular series of elongated sharpened separating pins 35.

The series of pins 36 are disposed concentrically to a circular series of rods 36 that are of a greater length than the pins 35 and extend through the opening 25 in the housing I9.

Secured on the free ends of the rods 36 and within the neck 23 is an annulus or ring 31. Ring 31 is clamped on the ends of the rods 36 through the medium of collars 38 and nuts 39.

Mounted on the ring 31 and arranged in a circular series thereon are blades 40. Blades 40 are provided with apertured lugs 4| through the medium of which and bolts 42 said blades are secured to the ring 31. (See Figures 2 and 4.)

In actual practice, current to the motor of the blower I! may be carried by a cable from a small power plant mounted on an automobile or the like. With the blower H in operation, and the free end of the hose 23' positioned near to the ground surface the berries as they are picked from the vines will, by suction, be drawn through the hose 23, leaves, stems and parts of the vines being carried with the berries through the hose 23 into the housing l9.

This accumulation of berries, stems, vines, etc.,

enters the housing l9 at the nipple 22, and the berries being heavier, they will, by gravity, fall through the neck or chute 22 into the receptacle or hopper 8. In this connection it will be appreciated that any berries which tend to be drawn into the blower I! will strike against the pins 35 which prevents the passage of such berries through the housing berries to drop back through the chute 2D and into the hopper 8. the disk 32 will so act on the berries, leaves and stems as to separate the berriesfromthe leaves and stems so that the berries, free of such leaves and stems, will drop into the receptacle 8. At the same time the leaves and stems pass through the housing I9 to the funnel or spout 23.

Disk 32 with the rods 36 and pins 35 is caused to rotate by reason of the action of the air flow on the blades 40.

By providing the fan blades 40 it has been found that the device 3| will operate satisfac torily regardless of the condition of the leaves, that is to say Whether the leaves are wet or dry.

Also with the assembly 3| disposed at the angle of inclination shown it has been found that the assembly will rotate at a very rapid rate insuring, a positive prevention against clogging, and'also insuring a full separation of the berries from their leaves and stems so that only the berries will pass into the hopper 8, the leaves and stems passing through the funnel 23 into the blower to discharge through the outlet side of the blower casing.

It will also be seen that with a device of this character, picking of berries over a large area without moving the device may be quickly and easily accomplished.

Also by providing the lining 2| for the'chute 2D, the lining I3 for the lower portion of the hopper 8, and the lining 44 for the inside of the door M, the possibility of the berries becoming bruised is also reduced to a minimum.

Hopper 8 is also provided with a suitable sight window w, and obviously one by looking through the window can readily see for himself the level' of the hopper contents.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of a cranberry picking machine of this character will be had without a more detailed description thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed'as new is:

1. In a cranberry picker, a hopper, suction means associated with said hopper'for drawing the picked berries to and into said hopper, and a rotary separator associated with said suction device for separating the berries from leaves, stems and other rubbish, said separating device including a rotatably mounted disk having a circular series of pins'extending therefrom, and also including a circular series of rods arranged within the confines of the pins, an annularmember' secured to the said series of rods'at the free ends of the later, and a circular series of blades mounted on said annular member; said blades being responsive to the air currents created by said suction device for rotating said disk and associated parts.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing provided at one side thereof witha nipple for the attachment of a hose thereto, said casing being provided at the opposite side thereof with IS and causing the Also, pins 35revolving with an opening, a blower having an inlet nozzle connected to the casing at the last-mentioned side thereof and in registry with said opening, a disk rotatably supported on a wall of said casing and disposed in alinement with said opening, a circular series of rods extending from one side of said disk and through said opening to terminate within the nozzle of said blower, an annular member secured to said ends of said rods, acircular series of :blades mounted on said ring for imparting rotative movement to said disk, and a circular series of pins projecting from said disk and disposed concentric to said rods, said pins having pointed ends terminating short of the free ends of said rods.

3. In a device of the class described, a hopper,

a casing on the hopper sloping downwardly'and' forwardly-with its lower end in communication with the hopper, an inlet nipple in communication with the lower part of the casing at the front thereof, a suction device in communication with the upper portion of the casing at the rear thereof, and a separator device in the upper portion of the casing and including a disk rotatably.

supported from the front wall of the casing and a plurality of pins arranged in a circular row and extendingdownwardly and rearwardly from'the disk, said pins terminating adjacent the point of communication of the suction device with the casing and means for rotating the separator device by the air currents created by the suction device.

4. ma device of the class described,.a hopper, a casing on the hopper sloping downwardly'and forwardly with its lower end in communication with'the hopper, an inlet'nipple-in communication with the lower part of the casing at the front thereof, a suction device in communication with the upper portion of the casing at the rear thereof, and a separator device in'the upper'por'-- tion of the casing and including a disk rotatably supported from the front wall of the casing anda plurality of pins arranged in a circular row and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the disk, said pins terminating adjacent the point of communication of the suction device with the: casing and means for rotating the separator de vice by theair'currents'. created by thesuction device, said meansincluding rods carriedby the.

disk and extending into the mouth of the suction device and blades supported from said rods and arranged in said. mouth.

5. In a. device of the class described, a hopper, a casing extending upwardly from the top of the hopper and having its lower endincommunication with the hopper, an inlet nipple in com? munication with the lower part of the casing, atv

nected with the support and extending across the casing to points adjacent the discharge opening.

MILFORD H. WEST. CHESTER C. WATSON. 

